England batting coach Graham Gooch admits preparation time for the first Ashes Test is now "minimal" at best after a second successive washout at the Bellerive Oval.

Graham Gooch is concerned by England's rain-affected preparations for the first Ashes Test.

England now have a maximum of five days of play ahead of them before they meet Australia in Brisbane from November 21, and first-choice players Kevin Pietersen, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann have yet to take the field

They sat out the drawn tour opener in Perth and then watched captain Alastair Cook and Michael Carberry pile up an unbroken opening stand of 318 here before rain set in for the next two days.

The tourists spent Friday huddled indoors under leaden and pouring skies - while a storm broke around them over a leaked document, detailing the refined culinary requirements they will be demanding from their hosts at this winter's Ashes venues.

As leaks go, it is clearly not as damaging as the Australian dossier on England's weaknesses that found its way into the public domain during the 2009 series in England, in which English players were varyingly described as "lazy", "shallow" and "flat" and a group who "love being comfortable".

Former Australian players duly queued up to start taunting the tourists over the 82-page document on diets, penned by the England and Wales Cricket Board's performance nutritionist Chris Rosimus and featuring almost 200 varieties of health-conscious, often exotic, food and drink.

Former Australia fast bowler Merv Hughes and batsman Dean Jones were especially quick off the mark at the mention of England's preference for "butternut squash and falafel coronation", a "quinoa and cranberry breakfast bar" and "mungbean curry with spinach" this winter.

England paceman Stuart Broad poked fun at the whole affair by tweeting: "I had some salted popcorn in the cinema if anyone's interested.... Nah thought not."

Gooch certainly has more pressing concerns as his charges' rain-enforced inactivity leaves them with a clutch of underbowled bowlers and batsmen either unsure of their position in the order or, in Pietersen's case, without an innings yet on tour.

"The guys - some of them haven't played - want to get some time in the middle; the bowlers want to iron out any little flaws in their run-ups, and just get their rhythm," he said.

"Certainly, if you're sitting in the dressing room, you get that sort of malaise as well - of just sitting around - and it's difficult, because the enthusiasm goes a little.

"So they do need to be out there, because time is short now - five playing days left before the first Test. That's minimal, isn't it?"

An unconvincing forecast for next week in Sydney, where England are due to play their final four-day warm-up match against an Australia Invitational XI is hardly helping either.

Gooch has dodged the rain by heading inside with some players, but has had to leave those involved against Australia A to wait at the ground for a break in the weather.

"I have been to the indoor nets with a few players yesterday and today, and no doubt we'll be back there tomorrow if the rain stays around.

"That's non-players (in this match) - the ones who are playing had to wait here just in case the rain subsided and we could get out.

"You make the best of it, but it's not ideal."

It is hard to imagine, after Carberry's 78 at the WACA and now unbeaten 153 here that he will not be retained as Cook's opening partner, with Joe Root instead deployed in the middle order.

Gooch said: "An opportunity arose in that first game when Alastair had the stiff back, a condition he'd suffered with in the past, and Michael got a game and took his chance there.

"We wanted to see a little bit more of him in this game, and he's done his chances no harm of playing with 150.

"He's got a second opportunity here, a couple of innings, and he's done very well.

"You want all your players to show form, so he's put a bit of a marker down for himself."

Carberry should not necessarily get too comfortable just yet, though, Gooch adding: "Joe's batted in the middle order when he started, so those options are still open - and I don't think the team selection is finalised yet.

"Obviously not being on the field - and seeing other guys bat as well - that complicates it a little bit.

"Always, I think you have an idea of what your side might be, but getting the batting line-up exactly right comes from watching a few matches.

"I don't think the side is completely settled at the moment.

"Some of the other players have not had much of an opportunity. But Joe Root has batted in the middle order and he's opened, and I'm sure the team will be comfortable with him doing either."

Of more consternation to some, it seems, is the health-food menu England are stipulating their hosts provide.

Hughes, for one, is not impressed.

"Give me a ham and pickle sandwich," he told the Sydney Morning Herald - adding, at the prospect of a plate of 'piri-piri breaded tofu with tomato salsa': "I'd dry retch for the next three days."